October 31, 2019

Mike Tanner

KWAT Radio News

 

WATERTOWN, S.D.—As the calendar is about to turn to November, construction crews working to complete the first phase of the Highway 212 construction project in Watertown have a battle on two fronts—the weather, and high water levels on the Big Sioux River.

 

Project Engineer Bryce Olson with the South Dakota DOT says the biggest piece of unfinished work on the reconstruction of 212 between Highways 20 and 81 remains pouring a new bridge deck over the river.

 

The hope is to get that done within the next month….

 

 

Olson explains what “falsework” is, and why it needs to be done before a new bridge deck is poured….

 

 

I asked Olson how he’d respond to the critics who say this project is taking too long to finish….

 

 

PHOTO: Construction crews continue working on a new bridge crossing over the Big Sioux River in Watertown.